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Why does the Gospel According to Luke trace Jesusā genealogy back to Adam?
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St. Luke
St. Luke, illuminated page from the Beatus Apocalypse, Mozarabic, 975; in the Gerona Cathedral, Spain.
The Gospel According to Luke traces the genealogy of Jesus Christ back to Adam to emphasize his universal significance. By connecting Jesus to Adam, the "father" of the entire human race, rather than stopping at Abraham, the father of the Jewish people, the author highlights that the message of the Gospel is intended for all people, specifically addressing the Gentile converts of the early church.1